Prenatal Care

Disability During Pregnancy

 

 

Your pregnancy may easily affect your work. These comments were written to prevent the misunderstanding that may occur between a pregnant woman, her physician, and employer.

 

The usual pregnancy discomforts, e .g ., nausea, tiredness, back and low abdominal pain, do not qualify as an illness requiring disability. A complication of pregnancy or illness unrelated to your pregnancy does not qualify.

 

If you are unable to carry out certain tasks necessary for your work, first speak to your employer. Your physician may authorize physical restrictions on your work after they have received a complete and specific job description from your employer.

 

If the restrictions written for your employment prevent you from performing your job, it is then the responsibility of your employer either to find you a less demanding position, or, if no such position is possible, to give you disability. If you become too uncomfortable to work, you may want to discuss a leave of absence with your employer.

 

Please do not ask your physician for disability unless he has restricted you from ALL work.

 

Most employers will give disability two weeks prior to your due date through six weeks after your delivery. We will happily furnish a letter with those dates. The decision to grant medical disability any earlier in pregnancy will be made honestly, carefully, and only with proper justification. Disability will be granted only for medical illnesses that may jeopardize a mother’s ability to safely nurture, protect and promote the development of her unborn child. Disability will not be granted for symptomatic complaints that stem from the normal physical or emotional changes of pregnancy.